Outdoors

By Bill Barker
For the Gazette-Times

This is a dark and dreary time of year for those of us who are prey to the phototropic (we need sunlight) bug.

Knowing that the turning of seasons will bring a return of longer days and warmer weather lessens urges to snarl and bite at any irritants, but there needs to be more prevention.

It’s one reason why I often daydream about places I’ve fished, wandered through or just reveled in the sensory input gathered by eyes, skin and ears. It yields a certain amount of relief from gloom, and - when planning a fly fishing expedition - can lead to success.

Many years ago, during a particularly nasty stretch of gushing clouds and cold, short days, I began thinking about going fly fishing at Davis Lake when weather warmed in spring.

The previous summer, I’d finally discovered the Callibaetis mayfly nymph, and how to fish it so that some of the finny monsters would find it tempting enough to inhale as they cruised along. My catch rate had increased dramatically after I’d put all the facets together, but there were still times when large trout were actively feeding and not seriously interested in mayfly nymphs.

I was visualizing rises, wind, warmth, sunlight, mayflies - everything I could remember about those frustrating periods - and thoroughly enjoying my voyage into sunny times when it struck me. Well, it wasn’t actually a strike, more like an awareness that there’d been lots of bugs, other than mayflies, popping out of the lake’s surface. I’d noticed many small, brown Caddis among the hordes of mayflies. But I was so zoned in on using nymphs, I hadn’t really thought much about them.

My memory banks, after some serious urging, seemed to indicate there had been quite a bit more feeding activity in areas where Caddis populations appeared more dense. Tweaking the “zoom” memory function, I estimated that a caddis imitation on a size 12 or 14 hook would come close to matching the size of flying adults.

I got everything gathered up, and soon had a couple dozen dry flies - dark brown - ready for spring.

Since my best successes had been with emerging Callibaetis nymphs, I also spent some time researching what kind of Caddis emergers might titillate fishy taste buds, finally deciding on a variation of a Pheasant tail nymph, in shades/combinations of brown and green; keeping sizes similar to dry versions, but with slimmer bodies.

Late spring, and the first glints of sun on lake waters, felt like Christmas mornings of childhood. I slid the Folboat into Odell Creek early, though it wouldn’t be time for many insects to hatch until 10 a.m., and headed toward the lake. I paddled quite a lot that morning, keeping warm, until the sun gained enough authority to dissipate morning mists, thaw fingers and trigger hatches.

Finally, the bulges of feeding trout began as a few air-dancing Caddis and mayflies popped through the surface tension after a gradual voyage from the depths where they’d resided while they matured. I paddled toward a feeding area, trying to study which way the cruising rainbows were swimming.

They’d feed briefly, then submerge before popping up quite a distance from their previous location; success often revolved around being within casting distance of rises.

Preferring surface fishing, with dry flies, I tied on an adult caddis imitation, though I figured nymphs would work better. I cast about two feet ahead of a trout that had just slid back under the surface; oops, he rose six feet past my fly. I lifted, cast again and laid it right at the edge of the bulge he was making. Chomp! Oh my! An 18-inch, airborne rainbow attached to your line can warm you up faster than a spring sun, even when it disconnects a little too soon.

Due to my winter visualizing, I’d been less gloomy and had tons of fun that day. Also found that the Pheasant Tail nymph works, but not as consistently as the dry caddis during feeding frenzies. This winter, I’ve been visualizing all the insects I spotted on the Williamson River last October. Have to start tying flies - soon.

Bill Barker can be reached at billbarker@comcast.com.